Lethal Attachment

Chapter 3

He slowly cocked his head on his left shoulder while intently looking at me. The way he stared at me made me feel uncomfortable. Bahagya akong nag-iwas ng tingin sa kanya kahit na hinihila ako ng bigat ng kanyang titig na mag-angat muli ng tingin sa kanya.

"You and Walter..." he said after staying slient. "How long are you two in a relationship?"

Hindi ko na napigilan ang sarili kong tingnan siyang muli ng diretso sa kanyang mga mata. My jaw slightly dropped while I slowly processed the words he said.

Bumalik ang alaala ko sa nakaraan kung kailang napagkamalan ni Rojan na may relasyon kaming dalawa ni Walter. He told me before that the thought that I have a boyfriend made him back off for a while before he pursued me, knowing that I wasn't in a relationship with anyone. Nilinaw ko sa kanya noon na matalik na kaibigan ko lamang si Walter. Ngayon ay muli na naman niyang iniisip na mayroon kaming relasyon ng aking kaibigan.

"We're not in a relationship," I simply answered his question.

His brows shot up like he wasn't convinced with my answer. Naglaro rin ang ngisi sa kanyang labi bago muling lumingon sa harapan nang bumusina ang nasa likuran naming sasakyan. He stepped on the accelerator and moved along with the other cars crossing the intersection.

We were five minutes early when we arrived in Fort Bonifacio and parked the car in One McKinley Place where the meeting will be held.  We went inside of a Spanish style restaurant, Las Flores, that has a very cozy but elegant ambiance.

Yakap-yakap ko ang iPad habang nakasunod kay Rojan na nililingon na ng mga kababaihan na nasa loob ng restaurant. Halos mabali ang kanilang mga leeg para lamang masundan ito ng tingin samantalang wala siyang pakialam sa kanyang paligid at diretso lamang sa paglalakad na para bang sanay na sanay na siyang pinapanood at pinagtitinginan.

I know that the confidence and power he's showing were making the girls fall for him even more at first sight. For sure, he will leave them a very great impression just like how he did to me when I first saw him play ball. Ever since that day, he never left my mind. The memories were still so vivid to me. It was like I never moved on from it.

Rojan stopped when a restaurant staff approached him. Tumigil din ako at hinayaan siyang makipag-usap habang nanatili ang aking tingin sa kanya na seryosong-seryoso. Ang staff naman na kanyang kausap ay parang handang gawin ang lahat ng sasabihin at iuutos niya.

"That's Rojan Sarmiento!" I heard one of the women from the nearby table said in a soft voice.

"OMG! He's way hotter in person!" The other woman giggled in a very flirty way.

I was very keen with everyone's reaction inside the restaurant that's why I was able to pay attention to it and hear their low conversation. Hindi rin naman sila ganoon kalayuan sa akin.

"But who's the girl he's with?" she whispered, but I was still able to hear it loud and clear. "Girlfriend?"

"Of course, not!" Napalakas ang boses ng babae at natawa sa sinabi ng kaibigan. "Can't you see the way she dressed herself? She won't pass to be Rojan's girlfriend."

Mariin kong kinagat ang aking labi at bahagyang yumuko. Paniguradong tinitingnan nila ako ngayon at sinusuri nang mabuti. Sinusubukan nilang husgahan ang pagkatao ko base na aking pisikal na anyong kanilang nakikita.

"She's just probably his secretary..." she guessed right.

"Ang swerte naman! How I wish na ako na lang ang secretary niya." Her voice was full of envy.

Hindi ako makapaniwala. Kahit bilang sekretarya na lang niya pala ay mayroon pa ring masasabi ang mga tao sa akin. Hanggang ngayon ay ako pa rin ang masuwerte sa posisyon ko dahil lang malapit ako sa kanya.